Chapter 14
SLIGHTLY DIZZY, I WOKE UP NOT KNOWING where I was at first. I didn’t see my reflection in my mirror when I sat up in bed or the glass bird sculpture that Emilia had gifted me before I moved back to the States.
My pulse leaped a little when I heard a knock at the door.
“Audrey?” a familiar, warm voice came from the hallway. “Are you awake?”
It was Charlotte.
Which meant I was at Henry’s house.
Why was I still here?
“Yes,” I heard myself say, but my voice sounded far away. “Come in.”
Henry’s mom opened the door and slipped in with a mug of coffee and a slice of her mouthwatering banana bread. “I checked on you earlier,” she said as I inelegantly gobbled it up, “but you were passed out. Henry, too. It’s almost eleven.”
Blood pumped through my ears. “Did Brigitta not start last night?” I asked. “She’s been making this weird clunk sound…”
Charlotte gave me a look. “You don’t remember?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to rewind last night.
We had sushi for dinner before going upstairs to watch Ocean’s Eleven.
But somehow La La Land and The Theory of Everything had come up?
I also remembered talking about Ellie and Chase and smelling Henry’s citrus shampoo and being so happy while snuggling with him—
My stomach dropped.
And eating the brownies.
Pot brownies.
“You and Henry came tearing down the stairs last night,” Charlotte gently said. “Henry slipped and actually fell down the final few, and you were both shouting about getting high from your brownies. It sounded like gibberish at first, but eventually you synchronized and it made sense.”
“Great.” I sighed. “We couldn’t even be cool about it.”
“It was very dorky,” she agreed. “Though I’m glad you told us. You were in no condition to drive home, Audrey. Tess sat with you until you fell asleep.”
I groaned, suddenly remembering. “I had the chills…”
“Yes, and I’ve never seen you so off-kilter.” She paused. “Did a neighbor really give you those brownies?”
I hesitated before nodding. Because it was true, in a sense. Leslie and Brian had lived next door, if only temporarily. “It was an accident,” I said. “She texted me that she’d baked two batches of brownies—one laced, one not—and mixed them up. I didn’t see the message until it was too late.”
“Ah,” Charlotte said, but I could tell she was more upset than she was letting on.
“Well, I called school and told them you and Henry were sick today. Rest up, take a shower.” She gestured to the bathroom.
“Stay as long as you need.” She smiled. “And if you would like to stay here for the rest of your parents’ trip, you are more than welcome.
Henry mentioned something important came up for your cousin, so you’re alone. ”
“Yeah, James couldn’t catch a break,” I said, then shrugged. “But I’m okay.”
Charlotte took my hand and squeezed it. “Just say the word if you change your mind.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest. “I will.”
HENRY WAS EITHER STILL ASLEEP OR recovering by the time I’d finished my coffee and showered.
The hot water made me feel like a new person.
Call me later, I texted him before tapping on James’s parental/parole officer–sounding text from this morning: Where did you sleep last night? Why aren’t you in school?
Really? I thought, surprised. James was seriously monitoring me?
Maybe he was the responsible person my parents believed him to be, after all.
Henry’s, I replied. Went for dinner and a movie, and it got late. I wasn’t feeling well this morning.
James didn’t need to know about the brownies, did he?
Were Henry’s parents home? he asked.
OMG, James. I rolled my eyes. You’re supposed to be the cool cousin!
I AM the cool cousin, he said. Isa wants to know.
Ah, that made sense.
Once I sarcastically told him that he could call Charlotte for confirmation—because he did have her number—I started Brigitta and drove home.
A lump rose in my throat when I turned in to my driveway, desperately hoping the Fishers were gone.
Checkout was at noon, and it was now half past, but I worried that Leslie and Brian would stay until I got home to apologize in person.
Audrey, I am SO SORRY, she’d written in her follow-up message. Brian mixed up the brownies. When ours didn’t hit last night, I realized we were eating yours! We both feel terrible…
It’s fine, I wrote. The damage was done, and what was I going to do? Charge them more money? Report them? Try to have their jet-setter status revoked? I wasn’t even supposed to be running a Here-to-Stay!
And at the end of the day, Henry and I were both okay.
I hope you had a wonderful stay! I’d added to end the conversation.
Thankfully, their Subaru was nowhere to be seen. I let out a deep breath, and even though I knew I had to clean the guesthouse for the coming weekend, I was so not doing that right now. I didn’t want to think about being a host for a while.
Especially when I got a text from Griff. Hey, it said. Hope you’re okay, haven’t seen you in school. Just wanted to let you know that my dad went to the Dave signing last night and met this random couple from out of town. They mentioned they were staying at the nicest HTS called Fair Winds.
Yikes-face emoji.
My blood thickened. Instead of responding, I took a screenshot and sent it to Henry. He called me thirty seconds later. “We’re screwed!” was my greeting.
“I’m feeling great, thank you for asking,” Henry said dryly. “How about you?”
I grimaced. “I’m sorry. How are you feeling?”
“Better now,” he told me. “I twisted my ankle falling down the stairs last night, but sleeping for thirteen hours works wonders. I’m sorry I wasn’t awake when you left.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I would’ve stayed, but I was anxious to see if the Fishers were gone.”
“Are they?”
“Yes.” I sighed. “But Griff’s text…”
“Don’t worry about it,” Henry said. “It’s not like they gave Mr. Keeler your address, right?”
“But what if he looks up Fair Winds on Here-to-Stay?”
“Then he’ll see photos of a guesthouse in Essex Harbor. When was the last time the Keelers were at your house, anyway?”
“Labor Day, maybe?” I answered. “I don’t remember.”
“Then I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said, and when I didn’t respond, he tentatively added: “Why don’t you blow something today?”
My stomach flipped.
“Unlock the hot shop,” he continued. “Fire up the furnace.”
“But I told you,” I said, “Golightly Glass is currently on a production hiatus.”
“I know, but it doesn’t need to be.” I could hear Henry’s shrug. “No one’s checked in right now; you’re bumming yourself out for no reason.”
I didn’t respond. It was a little more than bumming me out, and Henry knew that.
I’d never really been into sports, but right now I felt like an athlete who was sidelined for whatever reason, chomping at the bit to get back in the game.
Without glassblowing, my life felt—to quote Charlotte Chen—“off-kilter.”
“Fair Winds will be empty until Thursday night,” he continued. “You can blow something cool this afternoon.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Hank.”
He chuckled. “You don’t need my permission.”
“I know,” I said, “but I always want your support.” I paused, suddenly missing him. “Do you want to come over?”
The line was quiet for a moment. “I can’t,” Henry said. “My mom has sort of grounded me.”
“Oh.”
“I mean, it’s fine,” he added. “Reading on the back porch isn’t exactly the world’s worst punishment…” He dropped his voice. “I’m not supposed to be on the phone, though.”
I giggled. “I’ll talk to you later, dearest one.”
The words had slipped out so easily.
“Dearest one?” He sounded amused.
“Oh, you know what I mean!” Heat flared on the back of my neck. “I’m, you know, playing my part.”
“As am I,” Henry said dutifully.
“Yes,” I whispered, though I could’ve pointed out that we didn’t need to play our parts right now.
There was no one, not even a ghost, in my house who needed convincing we were a couple.